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Facebook Vs Google +

I have been on Facebook for a while now, but Google just released their version of the social network called Google +.  There are a tone of reviews going into great detail about the similarities and differences.  This is not that detailed.  I really like the look, feel, ease of use, etc. of G+.  If is smooth, fast and well integrated to my Chrome browser (which has started getting sluggish compared to the new Firefox, but that is another post.).  The two biggest drawbacks are lack of users and the idiot policy of no pseudonyms.  I personally don’t like having my full name roaming the net.  I just don’t.  I know there are all kinds of security features, but I have yet to see something a human could invent that another human could not take apart. Besides, as similar as Online Me is to Real Me, they are not the same person and I like to have a little distance between us.  This may well be what keeps G+ from ever becoming a real player against FB.

Facebook is a mess.  Full of ads, security breaches and selling your info.  The only things it has going for it are what G+ lacks.  Sadly, that may be enough.  People don’t like change and will only accept it if the change is better than the current state.  I hope Google can learn quickly, but some of their other projects have shown that even with all the resources they have, sometimes they are slow to respond or too big to care.

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Don’t you think the world would be a better place if we just adopted this as the standard?

PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

  • All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

  • Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

  • Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

  • No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

  • No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

  • Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

  • All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

  • Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

  • No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

  • Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

  • (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
  • (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

  • No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
  • (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
  • (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
  • (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

  • (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
  • (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
  • (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
  • (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

  • Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

  • Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
  • (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
  • (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
  • (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

  • Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
  • (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
  • (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
  • (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

  • Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
  • (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

  • (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
  • (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
  • (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

  • (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
  • (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

  • Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

  • (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
  • (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
  • (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

  • Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

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Down the Brazos

My father found out he has prostate cancer about four months ago.  As a result, he wanted to go down the Brazos river with his sons.  He had read the book “Goodbye to a River” and had talked about doing the trip with his dad, but did not get around to it before my granddad died.  So my brother and I put it together and headed out today.

We decided to keep it a little closer since we had not done anything like this before.  Travel tip, avoid Hillbilly Haven. While we did have fun, the price to value ratio was way off. $15 each adult for an uncovered tube and a REALLY rough ride to the drop off point. The bathroom facilities should have had dirt floors since the toilet seemed to be optional to some previous guests. I felt dirty just walking in and out. Next time I think we’ll do Rochelle’s.  I had spent the night there with my wife some months back when we headed out that way to camp without reservations.  Although the site was very primitive, the water was clear, cool and moving.  We had a great time there and I think it would be a fun time down the river.  Also, while I lathered on the sun screen, twice, and spent much of the time waist deep, I still got plenty toasted.

I also had a milestone while on the river, I finally wore a hole in my Vibram KSOs.  It is a small one and I am going to see if I can repair them, but it may be time to retire my first pair.
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Rashoman and The Outrage

I saw the Akira Kurosawa film a few months back and on the recommendation of a friend I decided to see “The Outrage” which was another western based on a Kurosawa film. I was pleasantly surprised to see William Shatner as the priest.  Paul Newman even made a passable Mexican villain.  The other supporting cast played the parts very well and the cinema photography,  while not inventive, were true to the original.  There were a couple of things I felt The Out rage help clarify for me that I may have just missed in the original.  The ending especially made more sense to me in English.    I recommend watching them both within about a month of one another to appreciate the nuances of the original Japanese.

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There and back again

This year my DW was determined to get the girls out of the state.  She had a window of time between summer classes, so she darted off with all the girls and headed out with her destination to make it to SLC, UT to visit her best friend.  As soon as she was down the road a bit, I bought a ticket to meet them with the intention of being there over the weekend and flying back.  The drive was very challenging for her and once out there, everyone got very homesick, so the decision was made that I would drive back with them.  We had a great time (most of the way).  I loved seeing SLC and having a local beer.  I especially enjoyed seeing Flagstaff, AZ again and some of the great scenery between here and there.

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Dumpster Treasure

My dear wife has a ritual of hitting the various schools at the end of term to benefit from the mass clean up at schools that happens each year.  Kids leaving college for home and teachers sick of yet another year toss out so much usable stuff.  This year she hit a few of the local elementary schools and found some old head phones and two packs of Polaroid 600 instant film.  The only reason I knew this had any value was I had been given an instant camera last year and was looking for film.  I decided pretty quickly I did not want to spend $35 for 10 photos.  So I listed the two packs she found and they each sold for a little over $35 each.  So keep your eye out for valuable “retro” items some people may want, but remember to declutter if it ends up just being junk.

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Goodbye Bally Total Fitness

I have had a membership here for quite a while.  I have enjoyed it and used it quite often.  However, I have lately started doing more “whole” exercising like riding my bike, playing with my kids, swimming, walking, etc.  Using actual movements and body weight as resistance, the hope is to get in shape without much risk of injury.  Case in point, I have a pain in my left shoulder that will come back from time to time and has been aggravated by pressing weight.

To cancel your membership with Bally, they do not tell you anything on the website except to call in.  Of course, that is so they can try to keep you as a member.  In many cases you can set the account on inactive, for $4 a month or transfer to another person for a “one time fee”, in this case $100.  If you outright want to cancel, you need to do it in writing like so to the following address:

Bally Total Fitness
Attn: Cancellation Dept
PO Box 96241
Washington, DC  20090
5/31/2011
[Your name and address]
RE: Member# 
To Whom It May Concern:
Please cancel my membership and stop all automatic withdrawals.
Hope that helps.
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Love my city

I like living in Euless.  It is neatly situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, I can ride my bike to the TRE station nearby, the Library is open every day and the city officials listen to those who live here.  We live a block from a park and there is a creek that runs the length of one side.  At the far corner, there is a place where it goes under the sidewalk and street.  Anyone walking out of the park and neighborhood have to walk over there creek.  I rode by there with the girls on bikes a couple of times.  It always made me a little nervous because there was no rail between the sidewalk and the 6 foot drop to nasty water and rocks:

  
 I sent the pictures above to the street department and asked that they add a rail.  The other day, my dear wife and I were on a walk through the neighborhood and saw this:

 

So take the time to contact you city.  If you live anywhere other than the incredibly dysfunctional White Settlement, you’ll probably be able t get something done.
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Translating Excel into Word.

I am something of a Wiz at MSExcel.  Being an accountant, that is almost mandatory.  With our new accounting system though, I need to become very proficient in MSWord.  For the geeky types, that is like being really good at Algebra, but needing to be just as good in English Lit. or fluent in Spanish, but needing the same proficiency in German.  They are completely different ways of thinking.  I am using Office 2007, so the instructions are geared for that release.

The challenge has been to take forms that my customers need, that were done in Excel, and convert them to a Word template.  Once that is done, our new accounting system uses the mail merge function to fill in added fields automatically.  After it is set up, I only need to enter information in once and I am done.  In the old system, the same information was being entered up to four different times.

The first task was just to get the form to fit on the page.  I found you could select all the cells you need in Excel, copy & paste into Word, but it always goes screaming off the page.  I could select the table, right click and set it to auto fit the window, but all the writing got scrunched up.  At first I thought I needed to play with font and cell size, but it ended up being much easier.  After you resize, you keep the table selected and go to page layout, shrink the margins for the selected text only and boom, done.  Almost no modification of the table is needed after that.  I did find it is best to go through the form in Excel  and do any merging of cells first.  It will bring over fewer cells to mess with in the table in the Word doc, though you can still merge cells there too.

The second task(s) was even sillier; getting the date to auto fill.  The merge source has certain dates it fills like “last payment” and “period to”, but no current date info or the first of the month.  In Excel, you use various formulas to get the info you need, in Word it is just a matter of format.  Again, after playing with it tenaciously (which is how I play most of the time) I found a simple answer.  Here were the two I needed (for now):

  1. Notary date – ex. 18 day of May, 2011
  2. First of the month – ex. 5/1/2011
In both cases, you go to the Insert tab, in the Text section, select Quick Parts, field and date.  I selected the first one and in the box above, you can dictate the format you want the date in.  Here are the formats to get the two I needed:
  1. Notary date – [DD] day of [MMMM, YYYY] – You have to enter two date fields, one for your day and one for the month and year since word sees the letters in “day of” as formatting.
  2. First of the month – DD/1/YYYY
Now the date is auto filled for the day I print the document.  I am sure I will encounter many other obstacles, but like any other learning process, it gets easier as you go.